The field of the invention is child and infant safety seats. More, specifically the invention relates to devices and methods for securely attaching a child or infant safety seat, or seat base, to latch anchors in a vehicle.
In the past, child safety seats were secured in automobiles using the standard factory-installed shoulder and lap seat belts of the automobile. These belts were routed or threaded in or around the child safety seat and latched in the usual manner. However, due the various types of child car seats, and the various types of seat and should belts, securing a child seat properly could require significant time and effort by a parent. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined that child seats were very often improperly secured, posing serious risks to children.
In response, several years ago, a new system, known as LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) was developed to simplify installation of child seats. This system uses attachment belts designed for the child seat, to secure the seat to anchors that are permanently attached to the vehicle. The anchors are steel rings or loops. The attachment belts have hooks or other fittings that attach to the anchors. The factory-installed seat belts are not used to secure the child seat. Although hooks may be used with the LATCH system, hoods have several disadvantages. Hooks can be difficult to engage and disengage a hook from the anchors. The lower anchors are sometimes buried between the automobile seat cushions, and are not easily visible. This can make it difficult to maneuver the hook onto an anchor, or to release the hook from the anchor. Various attachment belt end fittings or devices have been proposed to simplify use of the LATCH system. These devices generally use a plug-in/latching movement, or simple push-in or pull-out movement, to engage and disengage the anchor, eliminating the problems associated with hooks.
Various devices have also been used to take up slack in the attachment belts and to hold the seat firmly in place. These include manual devices such as slider and friction devices, and automatic devices such as spring driven retractors. However, existing retractor systems have disadvantages relating to design, operation and mounting characteristics. Accordingly, various engineering challenges remain in designing a versatile, reliable yet easy to use attachment system for a child seat.